Thursday, August 7, 2014

Gymnastics and Haircuts

It has been a while since I have written about Blacks Creek- I think it is time for an update.

Things there have been going great. A good number of kids have been excited to come join us for games and exploring everyday, despite having some off-putting weather on a few days. I am proud to say that the number of attendees has certainly increased from last summer, and continues to grow as this one progresses. Just yesterday we had two new explorers signup and join us for the very first time. The word about our educational, fun and free programming is certainly spreading through Quincy.

As was the case at the beginning of this past week, exploration in and around the creek can be difficult when the tide is high. The deeper water restricts wading, and seems to always put our target critters just out of reach. Fortunately, on these days the crabs are plentiful in the trap, resulting in some new and interesting crab-based activities. While the old standby "crab races" are always popular, my new favorites include crab gymnastics and crab hair cuts.

The former of these involves the posing crabs in interesting athletic positions that suggest a gymnastic event or action, and taking a quick photo. Handstands, high bar the list goes on and on. It is great to see how creative the kids can be when posing crustacea.

A flawless performance on the balance beam.

We have also had some interesting finds including my personal favorite, the horseshoe crab. The kids especially love when we find these prehistoric creatures and are always amazed to hear about their blue blood, numerous eyes and uses in the medical industry. The one we caught yesterday proved to be a great teaching tool. Because it was a younger specimen, it was not covered in the barnacles and algae typical of older ones. This made the explanation of its anatomy much easier, and even let the kids see the individual parts of its compound eyes.

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Save the Harbor/Save the Bayis a non-profit public-interest Boston Harbor environmental advocacy organization whose mission is to restore and protect Boston Harbor, Massachusetts Bay, the Boston Harbor Islands, the Boston Harbor region's public beaches, Boston's waterfront and the marine environment and share them with the public, for everyone to enjoy.

Since 1986, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay has been the driving force behind the transformation of Boston Harbor from one of the dirtiest urban harbors in America to one of the cleanest in the world.

As a result of our advocacy, Boston Harbor has been transformed from a "Harbor of Shame" into a source of recreational, educational and economic opportunity and civic pride. Today the beaches of South Boston are among the cleanest urban beaches in the nation, the Boston Harbor Islands are a National Park, and Boston's waterfront has become a compelling destination for residents and visitors alike.

Working with a broad base of civic, corporate, government, scientific, philanthropic and community partners, Save the Harbor / Save the Bay continues to strengthen the connections between communities and the harbor, and promote the increasingly important impact Boston Harbor has on the region’s economy.

Each year Save the Harbor / Save the Bay runs 2 freeYouth Environmental Education Programs that combine recreation and hands-on education to bring Boston Harbor alive for thousands of Boston area young people. Since 2003, we have connected nearly 250,000 youth and teens to Boston Harbor, the Boston Harbor Islands, our region's public beaches and Boston's waterfront.

Our "Boston Harbor Explorers" program serves thousands of young people at the Courageous Sailing Center in Charlestown, the Piers Park Sailing Center and Constitution Beach in East Boston, DCR's Carson Beach in South Boston, at Community Boating on the Charles River, on Black's Creek in Quincy, and at Camp Harbor View on Long Island and at The Boston Children's Museum.Our"All Access Boston Harbor"program departs weekdays from the Blue Hills Bank Pavilion in South Boston, and brings thousands of youth and teens from more than 100 community groups to Georges or Spectacle Island in the Boston Harbor Islands National Park on the Provincetown II.

OurBetter Beaches Program supports dozens of free events and activities on the region's public beaches each year in Nahant, Lynn, Revere, Winthrop, East Boston, South Boston, Dorchester, Quincy and Hull.

We hope we can count on you as we share Boston Harbor with 30,000 young people on 28 free island excursions and at 40 free events and programs on the region's public beaches in 2018.For more information about Save the Harbor/Save the Bay please visit our website at www.savetheharbor.org